1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to the field of geospatial searching. More particularly, and without limitation, the disclosure relates to computer-implemented methods and systems for providing search results for a geographic-based query.
2. Background
Users are currently able to access and view interactive maps through a wide variety of computing systems, including personal computers, stand-alone personal and automotive navigation systems (e.g., automobile GPS units), mobile telephones, smart phones, personal media players, navigation systems, etc. A stand-alone software running on a computing system, an on-line browser connected to a remote server (e.g., www.mapquest.com), a satellite global positioning system, or a combination of two or more of the aforementioned methods, may provide interactive maps and related services. Interactive maps may allow a user to, for example, access a map of a location (e.g., specific address, city, state, country, etc.) and the surrounding locations. After accessing a location, a user may navigate around the location by zooming in and out and scrolling left, right, up, and down on the map. A user may also use the map to retrieve directions/routes between two or more locations.
Interactive maps may also provide information about various points of interest (“POIs”) near a location selected/specified by a user. A POI may be, for example, a specific entity/attraction that is useful or interesting to an individual or a group of individuals or that the individual or the group may want to visit. By way of example, POIs on a map display may represent gas stations, rest areas, hotels, restaurants, museums, hospitals, historical sites in a specific geographic area, houses for sale, etc. A POI may also correspond to a movie theater showing a particular film, a restaurants that serve a specific type of food, such as pizza, etc.
A user may search for specific POIs that the user wants to locate by entering information for a query. A search results for identified POIs may be provided to a user based on the query. The search results may be within either sharp search boundaries set by an arbitrary radius (e.g., 1 mile, 5 miles, 10 miles, etc.) from a location, a geographic region (e.g., neighborhood, city, etc.) defined by a polygon, or an arbitrary polygon (e.g., square, etc.) surrounding a location. As a result, POIs that are outside a sharp search boundary are not provided to the user. In addition, a user is denied the opportunity to consider POIs that might better fit the user's preferences (based on the query), but are right outside the sharp search boundaries. At the same time, when a user expands the geographic scope of search results, a user is often provided with a search result that is crowded by too many POIs that are unappealing to the user. Also, a search within an expanded scope is very inefficient, and requires use of additional resources.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for performing geographic searching for users. Preferrably, such techniques should be more efficient, while also providing relevant or useful search results in comparison to that provided by conventional methods. Moreover, there is a need for improved methods and systems for providing search results of relevant POIs in response to a query from a user, that are not necessarily limited to sharp search boundaries or other geo-spatial limitations.
The herein disclosed embodiments are directed to achieving one or more of the above-referenced goals, by providing computer-implemented methods and systems for using spatial indexing for providing search results of, for example, POIs to a user.